27" iMAC IS OBSELETE It can no longer run creative cloud. What should I replace it with?

[dianas87440792]

I need recomendations for a replacement for my 27" iMac that no longer runs Premiere Pro, Media encoder or Photo shop, the three main products I use.  the i7 core is defective and has no solution for that. Apple will change the graphics card but most comments say that the change actually makes destroys the rest of the computer.  How are other people dealing with this? I am a video editor and need to know what hardware is working for others. 

Thanks.

[RjL190365]

How old is your 27" iMac? If you can no longer run Premiere Pro, Media Encoder or Photoshop, it is likely a 2010 or 2011 model, which cannot officially be updated to anything newer than MacOS 10.13 (High Sierra). The newest versions of all three programs require MacOS 10.15 (Catalina) or newer to even install or run at all.

Unfortunately, there is no new 27" iMac since the last of the Intel-powered iMacs were discontinued this past March. Only the 24" iMac, which uses the original Apple-silicon M1 chip, is currently available. All other desktop Macs require a separate monitor just to even be usable at all.

And I assume that you don't want to switch from Mac to Windows, am I correct?

[dianas87440792]

My iMac is from 2017 and runs 12.5 Monterey. I made sure it was the most powerful computer that wasn't an iMac Pro.  When I run PrPro many functions like titles do not work and rendering takes a long time.  The last thing that happened is I came close to a final cut, saved it, shut down and when I reopened the file most of the latest footage wasn't in the timeline. 

I have not edited film on a PC so I'm not sure where to start with that.  Apple has left owners of these computers high and dry.I asked for a discount toward purchase of the Mac Studio but was told there is no program under which that could happen.  The processing seemed to get worse with each Adobe Cloud update. Now I am finding a lot of evidence that the i7 core is to blame according to comments on Appple community. In addition other software I use has also been experiencing problems like Word Press and Vimeo.  I have a second, older  27" iMac that I use as a monitor. I was thinking of getting the Mac Studio and use my current computers can make a good pair as monitors.  The displays on both are quite good. Obviously I need a new computer but not sure where to start.

[RjL190365]

There's the problem:

Apple opted to use the full-blown i7-7700K quad-core Kaby Lake CPU inside a chassis that really wasn't designed to handle such a higher-power-draw CPU. And I bet that the CPU has throttled back thermally, if not overheated, many times during its lifetime in that iMac.

During the remainder of the 27-inch iMac's lifetime, Apple continued to increase the core counts and power draw of succeeding i7's and i9's that it included in its systems while pretty much keeping the same chassis. Thermal throttling has become more and more common in these iMacs.

So it's not the i7 CPU per se, but rather the mismatch between the CPU and the case's cooling capability (or lack thereof), that caused your recent problems.

[dianas87440792]

That follows what I am experiencing. Even with the slightest change to the timeline, the computer starts straining. My 2011 27" iMac also had that problem. Apple replaced something and I use it as a monitor now. Two 27" side by side work well visually. At the time they said there was no way to fix the cooling part of the computer and recommended that I replace it. I keep a small powerful fan on most of the time I am using the pair. But now I had to stop using Premiere Pro because nothing is working well and now some footage disappeared. Any suggestion of a replacement that would be suitable for the Adode Cloud? Thanks.

[RjL190365]

In your case, it's a tough decision since you apparently wanted to stick with the Apple ecosystem. You would have to settle for a smaller display, or get something that requires a separate monitor just to work at all. 

With that said, since you are using multiple monitors anyway, I'd suggest the Mac Studio with the M1 Max chip (the M1 Ultra isn't worth the extra $1400 in terms of a performance increase). And go with 64 GB of unified RAM with that Mac Studio: Although it costs an additional $400, you will be able to run multiple Creative Cloud apps without much of a hiccup (versus the base 32 GB). A bump in the M1 Max's integrated GPU from 24 cores to 32 cores costs an extra $200, and is nice to have.

So equipped (per my suggestion), the Mac Studio costs $2599. You may then purchase a monitor and external Thunderbolt or USB 3.2 Gen 2 SSD storage as your needs change.

[dianas87440792]

Thanks.  I was wondering if the 10 Core will be obselete soon? I'm an independent editor who works alone and isn't very knowledgeable about hardware.  I mostly work on Music videos which are short but complex with multiple layers of audio and video.  I added a screen shot of what I think I might need.  I noticed that there is a leasing possibility.  Any thoughts? 

[RjL190365]

Both the 10-core and the 20-core will become obsolete at about the same time. You see, by the time that programs begin to require the power of a 20-core CPU, they will also require hardware computing capabilities that are currently either incomplete or not present in any CPU.

[Warren Heaton]

Are you transcoding your source footage to ProRes and editing in a Sequence with the Video Previews set to ProRes?  

[Conrad_C]

The M1 Ultra you selected has twice the cores and twice the price as the M1 Max option, but a lot of tests have shown that it isn’t consistently twice the performance.  If budget is a factor at all, the M1 Max is a better value.

64GB of Unified Memory is good if you can afford it, but it might not be necessary. I am satisfied using 32GB on an M1 Pro MacBook Pro, which is less powerful than the Mac Studio choices. 64GB is a good idea if you will always be leaving Photoshop and the video applications open at the same time.

2TB storage is expensive because Apple uses the fastest possible type. I use 1TB of internal storage because I keep source clips on less expensive external SSDs (USB 3 at 10Gb/sec).

Aapple is now releasing the M2 starting at the low end (not yet powerful enough to replace the M1 Pro, Max, or Ultra). This has given us some insight into what parts of an M1 might become obsolete first. Where the M2 shows improvement is in the performance for single-core tasks, graphics acceleration, and the video encoders/decoders. However, M1 multi-core performance is still competitive. That suggests the more likely areas where an M1 bought today might become obsolete sooner are the video encoders and graphics hardware. Even then, a Mac Studio has a fair chance of performing competitively for more years than the Intel-limited 2017 iMac did.

Also note that AppleCare is no longer just a 3-year plan. It is now possible to renew AppleCare every year indefinitely as long as you own the Mac, so if you have concerns about parts failing 4 or 6 years down the road, keeping AppleCare active might provide better protection (but check the fine print).

[Warren Heaton]

What type of video are you usually editing?  Knowing this is key for recommending upgrades (Mac or Windows).

I still do some work on a 27-inch iMac.  While it's not lightening fast, it handles 2160p Apple ProRes 422 HQ fine.  It also handles the Premiere Pro Proxy workflow well for 6k and 8k.   It's also still a great machine for Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Audition and Media Encoder - it just isn't fast compared to a 2022 computer.

So, we're back to needing to know what type of video you usually edit.

Standard upgrades for an iMac includes RAM (very, very easy) and internal storage (not so easy, but doable).  An alternatative to replacing the internal storage it to boot from an external drive (very easy).  Upgrading from 8GB or 16GB to 32GB or 64GB of RAM or 512Gb to 2TB of storage can extend the life of an older machine.

There is no graphics card upgrade for the 27-inch iMac.  You could consider an external GPU (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208544), but whatever budget you have for new hardware might be better used for a new Apple Silicon based Mac rather than for add-ons to an older machine.

Speaking of Apple Silicon, as long as you don't go below 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage, other than being mindful of which Adobe applciations features work with the new Apple hardware (https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/kb/premiere-pro-for-apple-silicon.html), they're all great for video editing.  Being that you're coming from a 27-inch iMac i7, you'll probably want to go with an Apple Studio or MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro or the M1 Max.  Of course, it comes back to what type of video that you're usually editing.

[dianas87440792]

I volunteer to make videos that relate to teaching, social issues, and mental health or make music videos for musicians. Currently, my video comes primarily from B role shot on iPhone 12, Zoom or ZV-1, and stock footage. I import it to the bin and drag it from the bin to the timeline. The program monitor is at 1/2 res. The music videos have high-quality studio-produced audio. Here are some samples of what I do. vimeo.com/dianascalera I think my CPU is toasted because even though my computer has sufficient hardware to run Pr Pro, the fan starts up if I add titles or render. Each function works in very slow motion with a lot of errors. However, I can still use the computer for documents, Zoom, music, and email. I hope to purchase one of the new processors that will come out soon, like the M1 Pro. I plan to use my two 27" iMacs as monitors. That's how I have it set up now. The newest iMac 2017 as the computer and the 2011 iMac as the monitor. With the M1 Pro, which has no monitor, I can connect my two "not so good at processing" computers as monitors. There is a link on Apple support that explains how. I want, however, to start with hardware compatible with Adobe CC Premiere Pro, Media Encoder, and PhotoShop.

[dianas87440792]

Thanks RjL190365, Conrad, Warren,

There is a time chrunch on one of the projects that I would like to work on. RjL190365 suggested this computer and it seems from reading all your replies this would be the best choice and get Apple Care begrungingly.   If I wait until the new iterations come out, they will be much more expensive.  I am concerned about Mac Studio because of there are not enough thunderbolt connectors. Thanks for your help. 

[Conrad_C]

That M1 Max configuration seems appropriate, I would feel comfortable buying it myself.

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@dianas87440792 wrote:

I am concerned about Mac Studio because of there are not enough thunderbolt connectors.

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Do you have more than four Thunderbolt devices to connect? The Mac Studio has four 40 gigabit/sec Thunderbolt/USB 3 ports and two USB-A ports on the back, plus two more USB-C ports on the front…that’s more than on a 27" Mac (maybe not more than an iMac Pro), even most PCs don’t have that many. If you really do need more Thunderbolt ports, you can add more by daisy-chaining them through a Thunderbolt hub.

[Warren Heaton]

While your 2011 27-inch iMac can run in Target Display Mode, the 2017 27-inch iMac cannot.  Support for that feature ended with the introduction of the 5k 27-inch iMacs.  

Use your iMac as a display with target display mode

The Apple Cinema Display or Apple Thunderbolt Display that worked with the 2011 iMacs and 2017 iMacs will work with a newer Mac with Apple's Thunderbolt 3 to 2 adapter; however, both used and reconditioned (or "renewed") ones tend to cost more than other external display options.  Although, it can be tricky to find a computer montior that's as nice as the 27-inch iMac display at any price point.

[RjL190365]

In addition to what Warren stated, you cannot use either of your two iMacs at all as external displays with any current Mac Studio or desktop. This is because Apple has ended all support for this feature beginning with macOS 11.x (Big Sur). And the most recent version of macOS that supported this Target Display feature, 10.15.x (Catalina), cannot be installed at all on any Apple Silicon Mac. In the case of the Mac Studio, the only version of macOS that is supported on that machine is 12.x (Monterrey).

Therefore, if you do end up buying a Mac Studio, you will also need to purchase a new display with it.